New Delh

The Aam Aadmi Party has approached the Rajya Sabha Secretariat seeking to replace its MP Raghav Chadha as the party’s deputy leader in the Upper House, sources said on Thursday.

The party has proposed Punjab MP Ashok Mittal as his successor. According to sources, the communication also requested that Chadha no longer be allocated speaking time in the House under the party’s quota.

The development comes amid Chadha’s prolonged absence from key party activities and his silence on several recent political developments involving the party. Once seen as a close associate of Arvind Kejriwal and a prominent young face of the party, Chadha had played a significant role in its organisational and political affairs, especially in Punjab and Delhi.

However, his visibility within the party has declined in recent months. He was overseas for medical treatment during Kejriwal’s arrest in the excise policy case in March 2024 and remained away for much of the period when the AAP leader was in custody. He met Kejriwal only after his release later that year.

More recently, Chadha did not publicly respond after Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and others were discharged in the excise case, and he was also absent from key party events, including a press conference and a rally at Jantar Mantar.

Party insiders suggest that Chadha has gradually been distanced from campaign and organisational responsibilities, though he continues to remain active in Parliament, raising issues such as rising airfares and concerns of gig workers.

Speaking on the development, Mittal described the change as part of a routine internal process. He said the party leadership had entrusted him with the responsibility, and he would carry out the role diligently while representing both the party’s views and broader national concerns in the Rajya Sabha.

He also pointed out that the position has rotated in the past, indicating that such changes are part of the party’s effort to give leaders exposure to parliamentary functioning.

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The AAP currently has 10 members in the Rajya Sabha, including seven from Punjab and three from Delhi.